Part of the Barrel Trinity 2013 series – came about after a visit to the Somerset Cider Brandy Company at Burrow Hill where Julian Temperley showed us around his amazing farm.

It’s special, like me

On smelling some of his used barrels we thought they would be the perfect vessel to age some of our Ninkasi in. The cider brandy flavours naturally combine beautifully with the apple flavours in the beer and the farmyard brettanomyces character in the beer has become more dominant.

This is a beer we always wanted to make and we are delighted to say, it doesn’t disappoint. Not as highly carbonated as the “normal” Ninkasi, this is softer, more mellow, with a long lingering fruit character.

Well that sounds promising and what could go wrong?

The now familiar sour aroma, like a cider but less sweet. Pour is a richer golden, and in appearance has more body. Nice head too.

Of the three Wild Beer beers that I’ve had this is by far the most accessible and sensible. Yes it’s a sour beer, but it’s a level that is less, more mellow and a bit less edgy, more rounded.

I quite like the way this tastes

Good job I had this last then, otherwise it would have been a disaster.

The aroma has calmed down too, it’s now more oaky, unless I’ve just convinced myself of that.

It isn’t a beer to fall in love with, for me at least, but it is a beer that is quite complex and develops as it warms in the glass, in the way that some beers do. Possibly either because It was too cold in the first place, or because it was too cold in the first place.

A beer that is much sweeter in the front which makes the whole thing quite enjoyable and makes you appreciate that some sour beers are really worth a punt, but I imagine it really is a minefield. Actually I know it’s a minefield.

Thepdubyah-o-meter rates this as 9 a of its things from the thing. As things go this is a fairly clever beer, it has layers that develop as you drink and it draws you in, all the while hiding that it’s on the stronger end of the ABV scale really, and lucky it’s in a small bottle.

The double dip review

Am I enjoying it? I am, in a slightly uncomfortable way.

Would I have another? I think I’m mostly done with sours.

Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? This one might make the grade as a share beer to discuss why it’s a thing and why it’s worthy of the table. To my mind it this one is.

Kurt Vile, there’s a name you don’t hear often enough. This is from his album called “It’s a big world out there, and I’m scared, you can of course listen here on the Spotify, or mostly all the other places no doubt.

Kurt Samuel Vile is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. He is best known for his solo career and as a former member of indie rock band The War on Drugs

Belgian Strong Ales can vary from pale to dark brown in color, darker ales may be colored with dark candy sugar. Hop flavor can range from low to high, while hop aroma is low. The beers are medium to full-bodied and have a high alcoholic character. Types of beers included here include tripels, dubbels and ultra-strong abbey ales.